Preventing Falling Items with Proper Storage Practices

In this series of posts, we’ve explored some of the most common warehouse accidents, including how to prevent forklift injuries and slips and falls. In this blog, we’re going to provide some useful information on how warehouses can property store and stack items to prevent objects from falling over. As the third most common form of injury in this field, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Aside from just bruising and cuts, large items that fall from the shelves can cause crushing and pinning injuries. Read on to gather more insight. Before entering the first quarter of 2018, protect your operation with an Orlando Workers’ Compensation Insurance policy.

Prevent load collapsing.

Loads that are stacked awkwardly or without proper security have a tendency to topple over. To prevent this, consider one of the following approved material stacking methods, as stated by Safety Blog News:

Block Stacking – Stack square items in a cube, making sure to secure them with some kind of strapping like wire or plastic shrink wrap.

Brick Stacking – To ensure even more security, turn each level of a stack 90 degrees. This helps hold the items in place should the stack be bumped.

Pinwheel Stacking – For even more protection than the brick pattern, turn each quadrant—not just each level—of items 90 degrees. Patterns like this help “lock” everything in place.

Irregular Stacking – When dealing with irregularly shaped items, try adding sheets of plywood between each layer for added stability.

Remember that heavy items should be on the floor or lower shelves while lighter objects can be stacked on higher shelves.

Create visual cues to remind employees about stacking limits.

No matter how long your employees have worked in the warehouse, it’s never a bad idea to put visual cues and height markers to notify them of stacking limits. Next, these markers serve to remind them where certain stacks should go. Floor tape can be used to identify stacking areas, aisles, and where to place storage boxes and pallets.

Storage materials should be placed in clearly marked areas so that no one trips over them and they don’t get knocked over. Most importantly, should your warehouse get audited, you won’t be docked for blocking emergency exits.

Deter pests.

Poorly stored items, especially ones that no one touches, can make an ideal home for pests in your warehouse. If your pallets are stored by vents or doors, make sure they have no openings that bugs and critters can enter. Otherwise, you run the risk of having unwanted guests in your raw materials.

About Newman Crane & Associates Insurance

Deciding what coverages you need and what limits and deductibles make the most sense can be tricky. Since 1965, Newman Crane & Associates Insurance has been helping Central Floridians make sense of their options and make the smartest choices for their circumstances. Whether you need Warehouse Insurance or any other type of business or personal coverage, we encourage you to contact our friendly, experienced, and capable team today. Call us at (407) 859-3691 for a consultation.